New device can measure toxic lead within minutes
Researchers create portable lab-on-a-chip that could detect many
contaminants

Date:
August 26, 2020
Source:
Rutgers University
Summary:
Researchers have created a miniature device for measuring trace
levels of toxic lead in sediments at the bottom of harbors, rivers
and other waterways within minutes -- far faster than currently
available laboratory-based tests, which take days. The affordable
lab-on-a-chip device could also allow municipalities, water
companies, universities, K- 12 schools, daycares and homeowners
to easily and swiftly test their water supplies.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Rutgers researchers have created a miniature device for measuring trace
levels of toxic lead in sediments at the bottom of harbors, rivers and
other waterways within minutes -- far faster than currently available laboratory-based tests, which take days.


==========================================================================
The affordable lab-on-a-chip device could also allow municipalities,
water companies, universities, K-12 schools, daycares and homeowners to
easily and swiftly test their water supplies. The research is published
in the IEEE Sensors Journal.

"In addition to detecting lead contamination in environmental samples or
water in pipes in homes or elementary schools, with a tool like this,
someday you could go to a sushi bar and check whether the fish you
ordered has lead or mercury in it," said senior author Mehdi Javanmard,
an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New
Brunswick.

"Detecting toxic metals like lead, mercury and copper normally requires collecting samples and sending them to a lab for costly analysis,
with results returned in days," Javanmard said. "Our goal was to
bypass this process and build a sensitive, inexpensive device that can
easily be carried around and analyze samples on-site within minutes to
rapidly identify hot spots of contamination." The research focused on analyzing lead in sediment samples. Many river sediments in New Jersey and nationwide are contaminated by industrial and other waste dumped decades
ago. Proper management of contaminated dredged materials from navigational channels is important to limit potential impacts on wildlife, agriculture, plants and food supplies. Quick identification of contaminated areas could enable timely and cost-effective programs to manage dredged materials.

The new device extracts lead from a sediment sample and purifies it,
with a thin film of graphene oxide as a lead detector. Graphene is an
atom thick layer of graphite, the writing material in pencils.

More research is needed to further validate the device's performance and increase its durability so it can become a viable commercial product,
possibly in two to four years.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Rutgers_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. A. Gholizadeh, S. Sardar, K. Francisco, A. Maher, R. Miskewitz, M.

Javanmard. Towards In-Situ Environmental Monitoring: On-Chip
Sample Preparation and Detection of Lead in Sediment Samples Using
Graphene Oxide Sensor. IEEE Sensors Journal, 2020; 1 DOI: 10.1109/
JSEN.2020.3006021 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200826083038.htm

--- up 2 days, 6 hours, 51 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)